It is not hyperbole to say that no urban community in America has been as severely impacted by a university's presence as South Oakland has.

The policies of the University of Pittsburgh administrators have affected the residential and business districts of South Oakland in a profound and devastating way. Since 1968, the longtime residential populationhas declined by approximately 80%. On one residential street, the decline is far greater. South Bouquet Street has declined 98%, from over 200 longtime residents to presently only two, while the student population has increased from about a dozen to nearly 800.

As we will see below, the business district has been similarly decimated.

In addition to the above, there was a vast array of establishments that supported an eclectic multi-ethnic residential community, such as children's toys and clothes, fine jewelry, gifts, novelties, electrical appliances, wallpaper, and paint.

Business Establishments in 2018

In 2018, the number of businesses that supported a longtime residential community has declined tremendously. Today, there are no supermarkets, movie theatres, bowling alleys, hardware stores, shoe stores and shoe repair shops, dry cleaners and alteration shops, bread and bakery shops, children's toys and clothes stores, novelties and gift stores, electrical appliances, wallpaper, and paint stores.

The two main streets in South Oakland's business district (Forbes Avenue & Fifth Avenue) now have only seven business establishments, other than restaurants in the categories shown above, that support a longtime residential community: One gas station (Stuckert's Exxon), three barber shops (Supercuts, Sport Clips, Enrico's Hair Cutting for Men), two clothing shops for men and women (Rue 21, Whimsy on Fifth), and one flower shop (Gidas Flowers).

The administrators of the University of Pittsburgh have made conscious choices leading to the decimation of the residential and business districts of South Oakland. What is equally tragic is that Pitt's 5,000 faculty members are silent enablers.

Neither the chancellor and his administrators, nor the university's faculty, can answer this question in a positive manner: When the streets in the heart of our business district are predominantly dormitories, student housing, and university-owned buildings, how can we grow an eclectic, multi-ethnic, longtime residential community?